SAVE POINT 43

Reloading Rosabella's Point of View...Initiating Wake Up from In Her Mind...100%

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1102021402707628096/1110550677379362916/b7848799-9ae0-435b-bd00-1d9416752125.png][https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1102021402707628096/1110553297363927050/Vines_1.png]

Rosabella

I gasp, coming back with a start, but the noise—no matter how loud—is barely audible in the deafening, breaking noise shattering my eardrums. I clap both hands to my ears, sinking further against the hard temple back wall, feeling it press into my spine.

Oh my God, what is happening? It sounds like the whole world is erupting!

My eyes adjust quickly to the smoky blackness. Rains splatters up on an angle from where it's pelted the balcony stone dark brown and soggy. Fire climbs into the sky in the valley, making the jagged rocks there glow red in the dark, navy-blue chasm and—

And the three bridges lay in piles of rubble.

Dormouse did it!

But elation sizzles out of me like a grill in a deluge as I see Rainer's frantic, scrabbling form...reaching for something off the edge of the cliff—

My eyes quickly scan the balcony for Joy, but the pink-haired girl isn't anywhere to be found.

What happened while I was gone?

I run towards the edge of the cliff, not caring as rain batters my face with the force of hail. I squint down at the craggy ledges of rock there, the ends of my drenched hair falling forward as I lean—

What—!

My breath snags sharply in my throat.

Because a pale white hand clutches at the edge of a rock there.

And a steep drop lies below the pink-haired girl's swinging legs. She's hurt and barely holding on. Her face is clenched in immeasurable pain as she struggles to hang onto the rock ledge.

Rainer's already on hands and knees, ready to scrabble down the cliff face to reach her. "I'll get her," he assures me gruffly, but it's hard to imagine the burly guy being able to do anything without causing some sort of landslide—

"Wait," I tell him, cutting him off with an urgent hand, "...Let me try something."

And, before I've assured myself this is the stupidest idea in the world, I take a deep breath, close my eyes, fall into the blackness there and imagine vines, breaking out of the side of the cliff wall, reaching towards Joy's slipping fingers—

Crack!

My eyes fly open.

And it's not a bad crack; it's a good one. Because, as my eyelashes flutter open, I realize that the vines I created in my mind have come to life! Green sprouts burst forth from the dirt and rock side of the cliff, entwining and getting thicker—stronger. ...Reaching like fingers towards Joy's hand as the purple creator bar appears at the corner of my vision to tell me how much magic it took:

Rainer staggers back, "Well, I'll be damned..." he mutters incredulously under his breath.

And a little bit of pride fills me, even in the panic.

Because I found it. I found my creator magic even with what felt like two whole worlds against me; I found my power, and I'm finally standing in it—finally standing firm with something to offer. ...Now, I just have to figure out how to wield it.

I bite down on my lip, forcing my energy into moving the plant's tendrils towards Joy. I remember how strong the vines were when they'd been around my arms and legs... Maybe that will work for me in this case...

The sturdiest of the vines moves quickly, snaking forward where I want it and wrapping around the girl's thin wrist.

Please, please work, I pray in my head. If this fails, I'll drop her. I imagine her body falling...her screams—no. I attempt to cut off the thought in my mind. I can't let that happen—not after Callen. I can do this. I take a shaking breath and yank the energy upward with all my might.

The vine pulls.

Lifting Joy up, over our heads.

And placing her carefully down on the balcony floor, which she quickly crumples to. Her face is flushed with both relief and adrenaline. I suppose it's how you look when you're that close to death.

"Thank you," she huffs, coughing and holding her injured arm to her chest, breathing heavily.

...And my eyes widen because...well, it's the first time I've heard the girl thank...anyone. With satisfaction, I watch my creator magic creeping back to full.

I did it! I saved her—

"Duck!" Rainer bellows.

All of us hurry to drop to the ground, flattening out torsos level with Joy's still heaving face as a dragon's huge shadow passes overhead. I glance up just long enough to see it opening its mouth, ready to spew fire—

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

No!

I clamp my eyes closed and imagine a glass ceiling over us—a shield just like Dormouse had programmed during his duel with Maude.

And I feel heat on my face—

But, when I crack one eye open, I see flames leveling out, spreading over an invisible surface...unable to reach us. This creator magic stuff is awesome!

The purple indicator bar grows shorter and shorter the longer I hold the force field:

I feel sweat pop onto my forehead from the effort.

I grit my teeth—

There.

The dragon passes. I drop the shield, letting my cheek sink to the cold, rain-soaked ground. Thank God for rest. For relief. The icy temperature and the rain still hitting my cheeks feels glorious.

"You okay, Rosabella?" Rainer asks, attempting to tug me upward but my limbs feel so heavy. Why do they feel so heavy? Does this stuff affect my health bar as well?

The warrior is speaking into my face, his eyes urgent as he runs a troubled hand through his brown hair—what's he saying? He helps both me and Joy to our feet, leaning us against him for support as we move towards the shelter of the shadow of the Temple. "There's too many of them," he grunts, "If they have dragons, they'll find a way across. We have to get back under cover—"

"Wait."

The word tumbles out of my mouth.

I have to stop Rainer's speech.

Because I have to stop in general.

And it's because I've caught sight of him—the only man who can make me stop.

Flat out.

Freeze.

Goran.

He's riding an enormous, bronze dragon—sitting upright in the saddle confidently, like a king. His chin is held high, and his eyes shine black over streaks of warpaint on his cheeks of the same hue. The massive dragon lands on the edge of the Temple balcony, creating a tiny rockslide as its huge talons claw into the rocky ledge. The beast waits for the man to dismount which he does swiftly. The huge creature shakes its head, snapping a little in Dormouse's direction and sniggering as the pale-faced boy darts away. But, then, the monster returns to the sky, the flapping of its massive wings thrumming in the air and whipping my hair back from my scalp. ...But even under all the fur and armor...

It's him.

Goran.

Traitor.

Fake Dad.

My jaw hardens although the rest of me desperately wants to slink into the shadows someplace and hide.

"Rosabella, you want my help, you have it; you want me to leave, I'll leave it," Rainer mumbles under his breath for my benefit. I nod, acknowledging him, but wave downward, trying to gesture discretely for him to cool his jets.

"Just give me a minute," I tell the warrior, whispering as I step forward and away from the group, towards Goran.

"Make that 30 seconds," Joy snarls lowly, "What I wouldn't do to run his traitorous ass through—"

"She said a minute," Rainer quiets the girl with a hand and a glare.

And they fall a few steps back.

And I'm face to face with...

Him.

I can barely look at him. Because part of me still desperately wants to race to him—to wrap my arms around his middle and burry my face in his shirt like a kid...anything to have those arms of safety and warmth fall over me.

But they're NOT arms of safety or warmth.

Those same hands that he's clenching and unclenching—those same fists—killed my dad...murdered my parents in cold-blood.

For what?

My protection?

I don't feel protected. I feel lied to. I feel like I hate him. The emotion swirls in my belly, tightening my face and hardening my eyes just like his voice when the man says the one inevitable thing...

When he tries to gloss this all over by just saying my name...

"Rosie!" His arms open wide like he'd hug me if he had the choice.

But it just makes me want to retreat from him further; he'd murdered the chance of a reunion when I'd found out he's murdered my parents.

"What's your problem?" I spit the words, sounding more immature than I would have liked. "...What?" I gripe, "You didn't get enough the first go around when you killed my parents, so you have to come here to kill me?"

Goran's face gets serious then. His eyes darken further—if that's possible; they're like jagged shards of coal now. "Rosie, I would never hurt you. Everything I've ever done has been to protect you. Even right now, this—" he spreads his arms wide, gesturing at the army on the other side of the chasm, "this is for your protection—"

"Bullshit!" I bark, my hands flying out of control in the air around me, "Your side was firing arrows directly at us! One of them could have hit me! One of them killed my friend!"

Callen.

I swallow the bitter bile in the back of my throat as I remember his dead body—still warm in my hands. The life draining out of him.

Why?

Why?!

But Goran is chuckling—sneering. His lip curves up in open disdain. "Friend?" He scoffs, "Oh, Rosie, what little you know of this world. These people aren't your friends! They're Game Wardens! Do you know what Game Wardens do?" His tone is belittling. It makes something under my skin squirm. Am I...wrong? Why does it feel like he's convinced I'll give the incorrect answer here?

No.

No, I know what Game Wardens do! Dormouse told me himself, and he's always been the most honest one from the start. Goran is just trying to twist my thoughts. I'm right. I know I'm right.

"Of course, I know what Game Wardens do," I tell him, trying to hide the quiver in my voice, "They protect The Game—"

Goran clicks his tongue, cutting me off and shaking his head, "You are so naive, Rosie; it's not your fault, you're so good-hearted...so caring about everyone. You can't see when you're being lied to."

I narrow my eyes, feeling my insides boil. I clench both fists at my sides and suddenly wish I'd let Joy deal with the man, "I know when I'm being lied to."

"Then you know it isn't true," Goran remarks.

What? I'm suddenly feeling lost.

Winded.

Turned-around and backwards. Where is he going with this?

"What isn't true?" I demand.

"That the Game Wardens are here to save The Game," Goran starts, "They're not trying to save The Game. They're trying to save their own asses—their power. Their job titles and their status. Without a Game Maker in power, they go back to being Sue and Harry. ...But me. I'm the real one trying to save you, Rosie. Because you're worth more to me than any world. I convinced this entire army to stand down so I could talk with you. Stop letting these Game Wardens involve you in their politics. You don't want to be a ruler, a Game Maker. I know you. You want a quiet life. A safe life. I can give you that, Rosie. I negotiated a deal with the dragon for safe passage—me and you, back to New York. —Back to normal life, what do you say?"

Goran stares at me expectantly, but I don't have an answer for him because...

...Did he say the Game Warden's want me to be...a ruler?